Products through which fluids flow (e.g., hoses, manifolds, tubes, lines, pumps, containers, etc.) are susceptible to leaks. A product can be a part or unit. Many manufacturers of such products test each item for leaks before shipping the items to customers. For example, a manufacturer may leak test each item as part of a manufacturing process for a product. If leak testing requires a significant amount of time, the leak testing can impede the manufacturing process and increase manufacturing time for each item. Consequently, manufacturers strive to perform fast and accurate leak testing so as to decrease the manufacturing time per item.
Leak tests are generally performed by filling an item with a fluid, such as a gas. This is generally referred to as the “fill phase.” The item is filled until a specified required test pressure (e.g., 10 psig) is achieved. During the fill phase, the pressure inside the item increases from zero psig to the required test pressure (e.g., from 0 psig to 10 psig). If the item is filled with fluid quickly, heat builds and is unable to dissipate as quickly as it is generated causing the temperature of the fluid inside the item to increase (i.e., adiabatic heating occurs). An accurate leak test cannot be performed until time has elapsed for the heat to dissipate sufficiently. The time necessary for the heat to dissipate sufficiently is called the “stabilize phase.” Once the heat has dissipated, a leak test measurement can be performed. For example, flow sensors can detect flow of the fluid within the item that can indicate a leak. This is called the “test phase.” It would be beneficial to reduce the amount of time necessary for the heat to dissipate (i.e., reduce the duration of the stabilize phase) because it would decrease the total time necessary for the leak test and in turn decrease manufacturing time.